Parkin and sellin my truck headed to Iraq to drive

[fast forward]

I can't take anymore of these fuel prices and the company I am leased to constantly changing everything. first he fires almost the whole office staff then the payroll lady for no reason and almost all the dispatchers. I have had it I have been drivin for over 20 yrs. And I am DONE being an owner operator. I ship out on 03/31/08 to Iraq to drive. Atleast I can make close to or probably more than I will owning my own truck anymore after taxes and fuel they are going to just get worse along with fuel prices. GOOD LUCK TO ALL YOU GUYS keep the rubber side down and try to say NO to cheap freight

[Tatertot]

Are you serious? Can you PM me with the details, says I can't PM without 50 posts. Or post them here plz. I thought about doing that many years back, but never really looked into it.

[fast forward]

go to www.kbrjobs.com and post your resume and keep buggin them you will not get a phone number till they give you one but once that is given to you they tell you to take part in a conference call and then if you're still interested they will send you a hire packet and you need to get alot of stuff done like a dental exam and any dental work before you can go and a background check which they tell you you better write everything down even it is something you didn't know about you can be disqualified and then you fill out some other forms and they schedule you to take a test called a WABI which is a work attitude behavior inventory test which is just a bunch of weird questions about different scenarios on the job. They constantly tell you that you are goin into a war zone and serious injury or death can happen. After you go thru all that then you are flown to Houston TX for 2 weeks for training and go directly from Houston TX to Iraq. $85,700.00 of your income is tax free if you complete your year contract but you do get to come home during your contract you work 4 months and then get 10 days off which you can fly home for. IF you decide that the whole thing isn't for you while over there they will fly you home

[Tatertot]

Great, thanks a lot

Just curious, what would the total compensation be per year? $125k, 150k, etc? Thanks.

[fast forward]

12 hrs a day and 7 days a week yes there is alot of overtime but it is all paid in straight time and you get paid once a month direct deposit only into a USA bank account it does equal up to aprox over $150k and there is room to advance within the company. You family if married and does not have health insurance it is mandatory you get health medical from them which is AETNA medical health insurance. Which is flat rate for a family of $500.00 a mnth no matter how many dependants you have. Plus if you would be killed god forbid your spouse gets $50,000.00 in life insurance and 1/2 your salary for the rest of her life

[nsxman2001]

This sounds good but the money is useless if u lose your life over there.

Good luck!

[fast forward]

My wife and kids understand why I am doing this and in my heart and soul the money is only a small part of why I am going over. Not being able to re-enlist I feel in a way I am doing something for my country by supplying our great troops over there. like I told my wife it is an unexplainable calling

[BigDiesel]

12 hrs a day and 7 days a week yes there is alot of overtime but it is all paid in straight time and you get paid once a month direct deposit only into a USA bank account it does equal up to aprox over $150k and there is room to advance within the company. You family if married and does not have health insurance it is mandatory you get health medical from them which is AETNA medical health insurance. Which is flat rate for a family of $500.00 a mnth no matter how many dependants you have. Plus if you would be killed god forbid your spouse gets $50,000.00 in life insurance and 1/2 your salary for the rest of her life

WHOA !!!!!

I'm over here and have been over here for the last 4 years n your a little off on the figures there dude !!!! Also a little off on a few other things !!!!

[fast forward]

well I am just going off what is in my paperwork from KBR. Are you over there as a private contractor or military? I am just wondering what you have all experienced over there and how it is now

well I am just going off what is in my paperwork from KBR. Are you over there as a private contractor or military? I am just wondering what you have all experienced over there and how it is now

I'm KBR

Spent the first 3 years running convoy from Baghdad to Kuwait n Back. Became a CC and then got this gig out here dedicated to The Dept of State . As far as the stuff concerning Houston n the training your pretty correct but the money will be about 85 the first year .

Mine is about 94 now it's went up a little each year. When you first get here the liveing conditions may be a little harsh. I spent the first 10 months shareing a room in a barracks with 3 other people !! I didn't get my own room until after that. The only way you will advance will be if your either black or british !!!

Your common everyday white american truck driver is going to stay a truck driver until you leave .. I'm not running this thing into the ground mind you. It's been a blessing for me and like you I heard the call to help with this war effort over here and have learned a lot n done a lot . It's been a good experience over-all that I would do again.

OH and if you get killed yes your wife gets 50 but not half of your pay for the rest of her life (unless Houston changed that ??? witch I seriousely doubt !!) What I've experienced ??? A lot of it I can't talk about but lets just say this listen to what the people in Houston tell you about the violence n when it comes down to you n them that either you will haft to do some-thing or else be at their mercey !!! Do you have any idea what a human being sounds like when it's scraped off of the outside of the truck n falls under the wheels ???

There is virtually no violence here now but that could change ?? I've seen big men break down n cry because they were afraid to go outside the wire. When I came over here I had no-one at home n didn't care what happened outside the wire or anywhere else !!!

MORE QUESTIONS ??

The only way you will advance will be if your either black or british !!!

Your British?

[dollarshort]

Doesn't really matter what you do cause whether you stay here and drive or go over there and drive it's gonna kill you eventually.

[trans3]

I was there 3.5 years. Wounded my second month there by the prison on sword. Bullet and glass fragments to the face and neck. Got my Defense of Freedom medal 3 years later. Would I go back? Yep. In the process now. I sure wish we were making 125k a year. Mine was about 89k.

[fast forward]

This is the wife of a driver that is about to go to Iraq. I personally heard from the voice of the recruiter on the phone say that the pay would be anywhere from $95-$150k a year to start. I dont know if you guys are basing your facts off what used to be when they where affiliated with Halliburton. They are no longer in a sister company with them. Kbr is on their own now as of April of 2007. I have asked my questions personally to the recruiter & got my answers. If you can give us some updated answers that have any regards to the year 2008, I as well as my husband would sincerely appreciate it. We seem to be having more trouble with trying to find the cell phone provider that services Iraq than anything else. All the videos & people we talk to have the bad times to share from when the war first started in 2003. We know its a war zone but we want to know if its worth the pay & were trying to find out if they (KBR) are lying to us in any way. Please if you have any FIRST hand knowledge share with us.
Thanks

[fast forward]

I know I saw on my paper work or the KBR benifits site and my recruiter about the 1/2 the salary for life thing once I find it I will cut and paste it here or let you know one way or the other just tryin to locate it

if you guys could help with some insight on what to expect in Houston I would appreciate it greatly. And some info on the being able to fly home for time off , What airline is available out of Iraq or are we able to fly military? Cell phone service on TV you see all these guys talkin on cell phones and people I have talked to over here that have someone over there say they talked on the cell phone all the time any info on that would be helpful too.

I"m lookin forward to all this and trying to make sure I have enough stuff packed and what I might need that I haven't thought of that is not on the packing list from KBR

The only way you will advance will be if your either black or british !!!

Your British?

Well Oh course there Mate !!! Could'nt you bloody tell that by now !!!!

No I hav'nt advanced much there Steve !!! At least not as much as others that were or are black or british !! They are all a bunch of bloomin ""WANKERS"" they ar !!!

This is the wife of a driver that is about to go to Iraq. I personally heard from the voice of the recruiter on the phone say that the pay would be anywhere from $95-$150k a year to start. I dont know if you guys are basing your facts off what used to be when they where affiliated with Halliburton. They are no longer in a sister company with them. Kbr is on their own now as of April of 2007. I have asked my questions personally to the recruiter & got my answers. If you can give us some updated answers that have any regards to the year 2008, I as well as my husband would sincerely appreciate it. We seem to be having more trouble with trying to find the cell phone provider that services Iraq than anything else. All the videos & people we talk to have the bad times to share from when the war first started in 2003. We know its a war zone but we want to know if its worth the pay & were trying to find out if they (KBR) are lying to us in any way. Please if you have any FIRST hand knowledge share with us.
Thanks

What I told you was pretty much the way it was for me at that time and what it is like now. If your husband is going to be a truck driver then that is pretty much what it will be like . There is a guy that just came over here that is working in Taji as a driver and he is sleeping in a old school house divided up into rooms shareing the room with 3 other people the last he told me we all make the same money as a driver !!! If they were paying from 95 to 150 for a driver we would all quit n go back through Houston again just to get a raise don't ya think ??? KBR was allready split from Halliburton when I came over here in 04 !!!

It's a good job n the money is good but it's not in those figures that your being told !!! I was told the same things back then !!! Your Husband will have no expenses over here because they provide you with everything you need to do the job n to survive . There is no American Cell Service over here available to us . After your husband gets here there will be a MWR that will have phones in it and he will need a phone card to use. A stateside phone card will work. I used to get those 1000 min ones from WallMart. Depending on where he is working at he may be able to get a Iraqi Cell Phone that will call the US but it is a lot more per minute to do that ..

Don't try to call him from the States it would be expensive for both of you . Also they have computer set up in the MWR that he can use to communicate with you .. After I finally got my own quarters I was able to set up a Iraqi Internet system for my own laptop that I use to this day to do video calls with my wife in the States. The only difference is that now out here working for the Dept of State I use their cable for my computer n don't haft to pay for it anymore !! So my communication bill is about 0 for now !!!

Don't be afraid it's all pretty calm here now n this is a good job that can really change things for him n you n your life-styles n be a real bennifit for you n him. I have a state-side cell that works over here just like a phone in the states . It's provided by the Dept of Def because of my work location n what I do . It's 914-822-0501 . If you need to talk to me call before 1 pm Central time.

[stormothecentury]

I personally heard from the voice of the recruiter on the phone say that the pay would be anywhere from $95-$150k a year to start.

Well, there's your problem. You know how you can tell a recruiter's lying to you? Their lips are moving. :wink:


Seriously, though, I wouldn't believe the numbers (especially given the contrary statements of someone who's actually living it) without it being put in writing. And then I'd still take it with a hefty dose of salt.

I personally heard from the voice of the recruiter on the phone say that the pay would be anywhere from $95-$150k a year to start.

Well, there's your problem. You know how you can tell a recruiter's lying to you? Their lips are moving. :wink:


Seriously, though, I wouldn't believe the numbers (especially given the contrary statements of someone who's actually living it) without it being put in writing. And then I'd still take it with a hefty dose of salt.

If this guy makes 95 to 150 his first year over here I'LL be going back to Houston to do it all over again !!!!